how irresponsible to not know your pregnant, how abou tthe lack of a period to signal something!!! ding ding we have a winner!!

BS!!!! im sorry but i dont understand these stories where the girl dont know shes prego!!!! i think its BS… how the hell do you not know….??????

This happens all the time! A friend of mine, who is quite obese, was pregnant with absolutely no symptoms. She always had irregular periods and, because of her obesity, didn’t notice the weight gain. But she did discover she was pregnant almost a month before she gave birth…so at least she had a little time to prepare. I couldn’t imagine being totally unprepared and surprise! you have a baby.

i know….. or ur stomach getting bigger!!! called no education i guess…

This is for Anna L: You know there are some cases where women still have their periods throughout their pregnancies. I wouldn’t judge someone without knowing the true facts. I actually had a cousin that didn’t know she was pregnant til she went into labor.

This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. I have been pregnant, I do not believe anyone would not know that they are pregnant. Its crazy. It is just a form of denial that they are trying to convince themselves they are not pregnant.

I wonder how people can not know they are not pregnant, no period, weight gain, maybe feeling the baby move, wouldn’t that tell you something is going on.

That is the most ridiculous thing that I have ever heard. I have been pregnant and there is no way anyone that is pregnant would not know it. It is just a form of denial, trying to convince themselves they are not pregnant.

I would have to agree. How can at 26 weeks you not think something is up? She doesn’t appear to be obese. Which in most cases they don’t realize that they are pregnant…lack of period and large anyway.

I am wondering if the “bar hopping” induced the pre-term labor? Some charges would be pressed if she were in the US!

I’m sorry, but you would have to be some kind of idiot NOT to know that you are pregnant, especially when there is all that bumping around and kicking inside you…did she think it was just indigestion? Geez! Duh!

How about the fact that some women do not have regular periods!! ding ding…think about that.

I have heard of this happening before and the woman had very irregular cycles. She and her husband had been given very little hope of having a child. This lady gave birth to a heathy
baby girl back in the 70’s. As unique a situation, as this is….it can happen!

It is not uncommon for a woman to have bleeding regularly during a pregnancy. I had a friend who bled right around the time she would normally get her period for five months during her pregnancy. This woman may also not have had regular cycles due to other medical issues, so a lack of a period may not have been all that abnormal for her. It may also be possible that because she was only 26 weeks along, she might not have felt the baby moving yet. This may especially be true if she is a bigger woman. Instead of pegging this woman as being “irresponsible”, maybe we should applaud her for getting help in time to save her baby’s life. Please don’t make personal judgements on the woman’s responsibilities. We don’t know her!

Anna L, Although I always find these stories so hard to believe, it IS possible though not common for a woman to still get her period while pregnant. Don’t know if this was the case but it could have been. If I remember correctly, you start feeling movement on average around 20 weeks. I could be wrong. So if he was 26 weeks he should have been moving but maybe it was only very slight and she didn’t think much of it. I also see she’s not a skinny person so maybe she really didn’t “show” that much either. I guess it’s possible BUT, if you have had sex, and have any odd symptoms you would think a bell would go off but not everyone is the same I guess.

You forget that some women don’t have regular cycles, my wife was full term and we didn’t know it. She didn’t have any of the normal signs, ie morning sickness, weight gain etc. And it was normal for her to go up to a year between cycles.

even before I saw pictures I said to myself “I bet she is an overweight person”. DING DING! why did I know that? because being fat causes your menes to get messed up and sometimes stop altogether…so that is why it wouldnt come to a surprise to her that she had no peridod;s he probalby hasnt had one in a while. now, this happens to very thin people too..BUT …in this case since pregnancy causes one to get big (duh) I knew she had to be FAT because she didnt know she was getting big…since she, err..already was.

Comment by Tessie Warden
June 11th, 2008 at 11:25 am
That is the most ridiculous thing that I have ever heard. I have been pregnant and there is no way anyone that is pregnant would not know it. It is just a form of denial, trying to convince themselves they are not pregnant
——————————————–

Tessie, I understand your frustration. I too was pregnant twice in my lifetime and both times I had symptoms that started around the first missed period and continued to get more intense as the pregnancies went on. But, mine were your normal, average pregnancies. You can’t put blinders on and think that just because YOU had a normal pregnancy, that every other female on this planet would have the same pregnancy that you did. I think that there are ignorant women out there that don’t put two and two together. ie sex + symptoms = possible pregancy, but you have to consider all of the possibilities.

BS!!! BS!!!! BS!!!! Sorry there are just some things that a person cant deny! Denial!!!

Who’s the “daddy”?

Comment by Desiree
June 11th, 2008 at 11:29 am
I’m sorry, but you would have to be some kind of idiot NOT to know that you are pregnant, especially when there is all that bumping around and kicking inside you…did she think it was just indigestion? Geez! Duh!

Wow, a bit harsh and rude we are. Maybe you think she’s an idiot but I’d rather be an idiot that an ignorant name caller. Come on, not all women and pregnancies are the same. She looks like a normal person and she looks happy, maybe JUST MAYBE she honestly didn’t think she was pregnant, how about that?? How would you like to be called an idiot for not realizing something or making an error in judgement??

As usual, Fox has sensationalized an already dumb story with in inaccurate headline. The woman gave birth in her hotel room, not at the party. Welcome to National Enquirer News. Walter Cronkite – where are you when we need you?

I think this woman should be applauded for getting help for her baby instead of trying to shove it down a toilet or something. She is quite a plump lady, so I can see her maybe not knowing that she was pregnant. I think she was brave and responsible for getting the help that her premature baby needed instead of letting it die, trying to hide it or shoving it in the trash, like we hear of some other stories that are just horrible. Congrats on the baby, I hope you will turn out to be a good mom.

to taylor blue

how about feeling the baby kick? ding ding ding! thanks smart a**!

There was a story on dateline or something a few weeks ago about this very thing happening – woman not knowing they were pregnant.
My questions is – are most of these woman obese or overweight? And what are the chances they haven’t been to the gyno during that time frame? Even if you go every 12 months, chances you were there

Sorry, but I dont buy the irregular period excuse for a second. I am 34 weeks pregnant, and I have felt my child moving for 16 weeks now-and its not oooh I have gas feeling.
This woman knew something was up…

I had irregular periods when I was in my early 20’s. What I don’t understand is why she didn’t take pregnancy tests (espcially if she had a tendency to “bar hop”). I think that she should make sure she was not pregnant if she was clubbing it. JMHO

Kinda hard to pay attention to anything when you are 30 and spend all your time bar hopping. What a shame.

You know, why is everyone on here trying to make her out to be this bad person that didn’t know she was pregnant. If she was trying to deny it and didn’t want to accept the fact that she was pregnant, then she would not have gotten the help for the baby that was needed. Give her a little respect for not letting the baby die.

As far as her not knowing, it is very very possible. Some people have irregular periods, who knows she could have had a period every month IT CAN HAPPEN. As far as the baby kicking, some are not that active and you may not feel or feel very little it kicking.

As for Juli, since you had irregular periods in your early 20’s did you go out every month that you missed and buy a pregnancy test knowing that you had irregular periods?????

I don’t even know where to begin with this. I hear of this happening and always ask myself… how the H–L can someone be so… so… arrgh… ignorant.
I need more coffee.

Have a great day all.

DWA

I completely know how she felt! I went to the hospital for a kidney stone and came home with a 6 lb baby girl who is 13 today!

Every woman and every pregnancy is different. It is evident she wasn’t planning on becoming pregnant and therefore didn’t notice the signs of pregnancy. I’m a full figured gal. When I was pregnant, I still had periods, no morning sickness and due to blood sugar issues, I gained right at 10lb (special diet and doctor’s rules). If I remember correctly, I felt my little darling move right around 18 to 20 weeks BUT I was trying to feel him move too. If you don’t know what it is, you may pass it off as gas or some other bodily function. Many of my friends commented that I didn’t look pregnant until I hit about 7 months. I truly believe it was due to my body shape and how my body carried my pregnancy. Some body shapes accomodate pregnancy better than others.

Ummmmmm did I miss something somewhere. Where does it say that she “bar hops all the time”?????????

Sorry, but I don’t buy this. At 26 weeks she would have felt the baby move way before then. I think this was her excuse because she had obviously been drinking (bar hopping) and she knew the hospital would probably call in the authorities due to child endangerment ( hopefully the British do not agree with drinking during pregnancy).

O.K. I also went back and looked at her picture, it’s not like she was that overweight that she wouldn’t notice the weight gain. Something else people are failing to mention as far as a symptom of pregnancy, your breast get very tender and sometimes swollen. I still can’t but the fact that people don’t know their pregnant, maybe for the first few months, but after that they are just in DENIAL!

I think it’s absolutely ridiculous that someone could have a child and not know they’re pregnant. Even if the woman is very heavy there are so many changes that go on in your body you’d have to be an idiot to not know something out of the normal is going on. I’ve read that it happens but I just can’t help but think these women are so out of touch with their own bodies to not know when they’re pregnant.

i saw a documentary a week ago regarding this.. some women just don’t get symptons and they simply do not know. Did anyone ready the BBC story in its entirety…..they couldn’t get the baby a bed.. the best neonatal hospital in the UK…people this is what we will be looking forward to Universal Health care.

To the female that said her friend didnt know she was pregnant cause she was obese is a DAMN LIE…What she thought she was hungry when the baby moved? I have heard of some stupid people but this right here takes the cake. What she didnt take sex education in school? When she went to the doctor about her periods being off balance did they tell her to come back in for check ups? Did she not go? There is no excuse for a woman to not know that she has a child growing inside of her? or how about this DID SHE EVEN CARE? A womans body tells them when: your pregnant, about to have a period, or anything else as far as that goes LADIES EDUCATE YOUR SELF BEFORE YOU SPEAK NEXT TIME….

I’m sorry, how do you NOT know you are pregnant!

I was almost 5 months pregnant, before I was made aware of the situation, with missed menses, and 3 doctors appointments telling me I was not prego…. I was… labeling this woman irresposible and dumb, or fat is very irrational, and uneducated. It is very common for women to mensturate during their entire pregnancy, and in my case, cramping and nausea are normal as I have endometroisis. Sometimes women actually lose weight during pregnancy… its true..so educated yourself before you judge someone else, would you want someone uneducated sitting on ur jury?

WOW!! Let’s not blame this lady without knowing all the facts.

It seems, she did the right thing for the baby. If she knew that she was pregnant, then
she may not have been drinking at the Pub. According to the story, she did not know
she was expecting.

I can understnd the missed period or even the weight gain issues. But I “CAN NOT” get pass not feeling the baby move. I had two kids and with each one it felt like my insides were being rearrange by the baby. I think she was in denial. Sorry, I just dont see it.

I love how people think their experience with a situation is the only way it can happen, and try to force others to fit their viewpoints

Is sad to hear women make comments like this about people who your not certain if they deserve it or not.

In my case, I was told I could not have kids so I moved on and adopted my daughter. A few years later I went for my annual only to find out that I was 5 months pregnant. I had no symptoms and no weight gain. I was excercising daily and maintaining along with eating healthy because I was trying to stay in shape. So for someone to call another person ignorant shows how low morale you have. Mentally and physcologically you either think and in my case beleived that I could not have kids. On top of it all, I have never had regular menstrual cycles so how could I of known? It was tough but I can care less what anyone thinks. I gave birth to my son who is now 3 and I had to live the rest of the months wondering if everything I had eaten or drank was going to hurt him and this mom could be going through this now. Give her support…

Most mothers want a healthy baby/yes there are the ones who do not care and kill or give up their kids for adoption like my daughter. But in true honesty people who judge others without facts are the idiots. We are all entittled to freedom of speech and our opinions but there are some people who should not be entitled to it.

I know someone who had no idea she was pregnant. She continued to have periods throughout her pregnancy (light, but they had always been irregular anyway), and gained less than 10 pounds before she delivered at 30 weeks. She was living with her sister (a nurse) and brother-in-law (a doctor) at the time and no one had any idea – her sister took her to the emergency room in labor thinking she was having an appendicitis attack. This was a very tiny woman, too, and did not even go up an entire clothing size, so nothing to do with the mom being fluffy.

This baby needs to be tested for several congenital anomalies, as my friend’s baby had a muscle disorder which was not diagnosed until she was 2. The babies with this disorder are very small, move very little, often come early and have very low amniotic fluid levels – much easier to miss than a normal pregnancy.

Forget all the hoopla about her not knowing she was pregnant, the important issue here is Britian’s socialized medicine is not providing the infant with the best care available. Even our indigent hospitals make room in the NICU’s for baby’s born at 26 weeks. The baby is a miracle not because his mother didn’t know she was pregnant, but because socialized medicine didn’t kill him!!!

Seems it’s always those who are the most ignorant who think they know it all! Ding! It’s the shallow attitude…. If it didn’t happen to me then it can’t be true….duh!! Come on…….get out from under your rock someday! Ding!

how high and mighty most of you are handing down life lessions to all the sinners…. so glad to know how understanding ppl can be. i bet you’ve never made a mistake in your whole life and if you have, god forbid, you let it be public so you can take a slice of humble pie for your errors. but most of us are lucky enough to keep our falts to ourselves so we dont have to take accountability. we dont have all the information on this story like so many have said before me our bodies are all different. so how does that give you the right to judge someone else based on your own experences?

It is ridiculous that she said that she had no idea she was pregnant. You know when your pregnant. There are clear signs and symptoms either she chose to ignore them or she was just being ignorant of her situation. I think they should think carefully about whether or not she deserves to be this childs parent. I am not saying that the prematurity was cause by her, but if she was out drinking during the whole pregnancy it certainly would seem that way.
I have had a baby and you know when your pregnant.

I am about the size of the woman in this story. I also have irregular periods (I will sometimes go 3 – 4 months between periods). I did not know I was pregnant until I was about 30 weeks. I had no signs of sickness, no weight gain (I actually lost weight) and felt no movement from the baby. So it is possible.

Nevermind that she didn’t know she was pregnant. I can believe it, she’s a little overweight, and at 5-6 months along, she probably wouldn’t have noticed a few extra pounds if she wasn’t looking to be pregnant, and those “butterflies” in her stomach she would probably have passed off as indigestion. Read the BBC article. She gave birth to a 2lb infant with a 50-60% chance of survival. Now, read the rest of the BBC article where she is forced to remain outside of her home region because of a LACK of BED SPACE. All of you who want socialized medicine take note of that. Now, I think she and the paramedics and the staff have done a wonderful job, but it’s a shame that she can’t be closer to home. I do hope that Ashley tones down her “bar-hopping” now that she’s a mom. And, Good Luck to her and Owen!

Despite the arguments of irregular periods and/or obesity, there is no way in hell you are not going to feel that baby move. Most start feeling the baby moving between 14 to 16 weeks, sometimes a few weeks later. And the statement “…As far as the baby kicking, some are not that active and you may not feel or feel very little it kicking…”, believe me, you DO feel a baby moving. One of the standard tests a doctor has a woman do is count the number of kicks, average is at least 10 kicks in a span of one to two hours. If it is less than that, it is recommended to contact the doctor immediately as it can be a sign of something wrong with the baby.

Given the size of the uterus before pregnancy, and the size of a growing baby, believe me, you know it’s there. Those who claim they don’t know they’re pregnant past 16 weeks have either never been taught the facts of life, or are in extreme denial.

I have heard of women not knowing they are pregnant until immediately before birth as well. It is obviously uncommon, but not unheard of. I just hope that the little guy doesn’t have fetal alcohol syndrome or some future metal disorders because of this. I have the feeling the dad is gonna you know what in his pants when he finds out he has a son.

Hard to believe, but ok. I guess there is some science to figure out how this happens.

Comment by pak31
Wow, a bit harsh and rude we are. Maybe you think she’s an idiot but I’d rather be an idiot that an ignorant name caller. Come on, not all women and pregnancies are the same. She looks like a normal person and she looks happy, maybe JUST MAYBE she honestly didn’t think she was pregnant, how about that?? How would you like to be called an idiot for not realizing something or making an error in judgement??

You may consider it to be rude, but I won’t lose any sleep over your comment. The only error in judgement here lies with you and the fact that this is an opinion blog and you can’t seem to handle other peoples comments and opinions. If you don’t like to hear what other people have to say; then find somewhere else to whine. It’s funny how you call me an ignorant name caller, but fail to see the fact that in calling me that… you have now become one too! Hmmm…how ironic. LOL

I think she knew she was pregnant, but for some reason was hiding it. Everyone mentions about her being overweight, but she is not OBESE by any means. Again, I think she knew she was pregnant, but she knew bar-hopping and being pregnant at the same time signifies some sort of neglect, and she didn’t want to ‘FESS up. SISSY (above) mentioned the same thing I’m thinking.

Regardless, WHO KNOWS? Thank goodness the baby survived, and has a great chance of survival. So, no matter what the reasons were and/or are for her knowing or not knowing she was pregnant, he was born healthy (“healthy” with the respect that he was born at least 2 mos. premature, after bar-hopping, and being born to a woman in a bumblebee costume). There must be something very special about him.

You would have to be completely unaware of your body to not know that you are that far along. i am 27 weeks now. and I have been feeling the baby move not for over 10 weeks, i know some women don’t feel movement right away but still. i honestly think she lied. I just wonder if that baby is going to have problems now because the baby’s mom was drinking. Now please don’t get me wrong i am not trying to “bash” her but you would know if you were that far along.

She’s not that big, she would have felt something by now. Women just need to be more aware of their bodies. Your flipping growing a person! how can you now know by the end of your second trimester?!

If you are overwieght AND have irregurlar periods AND you are having unprotected sex, YOU SHOULD TAKE A PREGNECY TEST REGULARLY. end of story. Should go without saying really, although someone was irresponsible enough not too. So here I am leaving a comment. sigh.

I’m 26 weeks pregnant as of last Friday and honestly, I can’t imagine not having noticed that something was up by now. I know that all people have different experiences but I’ve got a regular David Beckham in there kicking away at my insides. I have to say that if she didn’t have the 5 months of morning sickness that I did then that was a blessing. Hope she takes the responsibilities of being a mom seriously.

It is very difficult for me to believe this woman did not know she was pregnant. In denial, yes. Not know …. NO… When I was 6 & a half mos. along I was extremely aware I was pregnant. Those babies moved and kicked and generally made my life not my own… thank you very much. and I still remember after many many years. So don’t insult my intelligence with this nonense about not knowing she was pregnant. sheesh… We have a phrase here in the States, “she must be ate up with the dumba–”

You have got to be kidding me….how can you not feel a child kicking you in the side??? somebody obviously spends all their time bar hopping!”.

I think that this is crazy. I am 31 years old and 23 weeks pregnant and my baby kicks and moves so much there is no way that you could not tell that you are pregnant. She must have been in denial. Totally absurd! She was out drinking and partying and didn’t want anyone to think badly of her so she lied.

I have a friend (well educated, and already mother of 3!!) who was 6 months along when she found out she was pregnant. Ironically, she is also thin and beautiful; due to her very long waist, the mass (baby) was hidden even from her. She was no stranger to irregular menstruation cycles, and found out at a Dr. checkup!!!

As we can see from this story, it is better to lead healthy lifestyle, just in case…..

Lost in all this narrative is the failure of the health care system, in not having NICU space. A more market oriented health care system would no doubt provided a NICU bed, all things being equal. Regardless, congratulations and best wishes for mother and baby; may both live long and prosper!

I have four children and always find these stories absolutely ridiculous, but whatever.
I think the real story here is that there is no room in the neonatal unit at the hospital and the mom and baby have to stay somewhere else until a bed opens up.
Socialized medicine, anyone?
I hope my fellow Americans wake up and smell the coffee. The Canadians come down here all the time because their system is a shambles. Where are we Americans going to go when Obama/Hiliary/socialist of the month drives our system into the ground? Mexico?

A friend of mine just found out she is 26 weeks along. the docs thought she had a tumor. and she had regular periods the whole time. So before you go judging this woman, keep in mind that things do happen, even if it is out of the norm

I am a small woman and when I gave birth to my son he was premature and had both mental and physical disabilities. He was a little 3lb. 2 oz. baby and I actually maintained the same wieght the entire time I was pregnant. Because of his disabilities he hardly moved at all during the pregnancy. I was terrified that he would’t so I regularly had checkups and tried desperately to feel him kick, often not succeeding. I also bled regularly during my pregnancy, about once overy 1.5 months or so, and I only experienced morning sickness for about a week. All of this happened after my husband and I tried desperately to get pregnant for several years and went through all the craziness of modern medicine to get pregnant. The only reason I had any clear indication that I was pregnant is because I got pregnant very much on purpose. If it had been an accidental pregnancy, I imagine I would have had no idea.

Also, if you read the BBC article, she was not just bar-hopping, it was a hen night. That usually means that it is the equivalent of a bachelorette party. All you 30-ish women out there don’t tell me that you have never gone bar hopping for a bachelorette party. Please. If you assume for the moment that she honestly did not know she was pregnant, then her bar-hopping was not all that irresponsible or unusual for a woman her age on before a friend’s wedding.

Grace, do you know the meaning of Grace? What is up with your comment “I knew she had to be FAT”. I sure hope people show you more compassion than you do for “FAT” people. What a
disGrace!

Was there a man involved?

It’s an amazing story, but tip-toeing around basic facts is frustrating.

Was she married? Was it a one-night stand? Was the father told? Will this child even have a father? Does anyone care? I’d like to know whether this is a happy or sad story.

Just how fat do you have to be to not realize you are pregnant? Unreal !

My aunt told doctors for months she was pregnant. They told her for months she was not. At month seven she went into her doc’s office and told them that “something’s kicking me!” They still told her she was not pregnant. Two months later, here’s cousin Mike – along with a bunch of shocked doctors who only told her she was eating too much and ’suffering indigestion’ because all the pregnancy tests kept coming back negative – not to mention her period never stopped.

I also read a story of a woman who woke up one night in excruciating pain and asked her boyfriend to rush her to the ER. She was in labor. Funny thing was, she also never lost her period – AND she only gained eight pounds. Never even had to buy a new pair of jeans.

This stuff is not totally uncommon. What’s BS is the doctors are not treating the baby as they should because “there’s no beds.” Give me a break. Could it be they just don’t want to spend the money on a little tyke who might not survive? And before you start frothing at the mouth, the article states plainly that, “baby was born at 26 weeks. In hospital he has a 50-60% chance of survival. Born out of hospital, his survival rate drops.”

Beware, people. I’ve lived in countries with socialized medicine and it is NOT the panacea that people make it out to be.

I once had a baby while I was water skiing. I hadn’t realized that I was pregnant either. Baby popped out and I carried the baby to shore and drove to the hospital.

I once had a baby while water skiing.

Given the size of the uterus before pregnancy, and the size of a growing baby, believe me, you know it’s there. Those who claim they don’t know they’re pregnant past 16 weeks have either never been taught the facts of life, or are in extreme denial.

Lisa, apparently you haven’t read any of the above comments from women who, for various reasons, did not know they were pregnant. I’m sure they did know the facts of life and I’m sure they were not in denial. Apparently it is possible to be pregnant and not know it. Women’s bodies react differently, some don’t have the obvious symptoms. Don’t be so judgmental Lisa.

This is crazy! I am 8 months pregnant and there is no way a woman can not know she is pregnant. How about the lack of periods in the beginning, the movement that starts in the 4th month, and the growing abdomen! At 26 weeks I could already see my baby moving through the skin. You read so much about women contesting ‘they didn’t know’ but that’s just to excuse their irresponsible behavior. She probably got scared as she was bar hopping and drinking that child services would step in and take her baby so the brainiac thought, “I’ll say I didn’t know.” Now the poor baby must suffer starting life at 26 weeks without pre-natal care.

i am 33 weeks pregnant. there is no way she did not have a clue. There are other symptoms besides lack of period that tells a women she is pregnant. Pay attention to your body! There are so many changes and feelings that you go through when you are pregnant! Irresponsible and ignorant!

I have been pregnant 3 times and did not know until 3 months as I continued to have periods. I also was on birth control with all 3. I think if some of you are real honest you will remember that those first few weeks of movement that you were waiting for were “flutters” that are not really discernable as a baby kicking, especially if you do not think you are pregnant. I also know someone who was rushed to the emergency room with what appeared to be a ruptured appendix and she came home with a brand new baby born apparently at close to full term. Neither she, her husband or her friends had a clue she was pregnant. I hope this woman and her baby have a happy, healthy and long life together.

Jen I wouldn’t say that 50-60% is a GREAT chance for survival. I do hope he comes out of this with a clean bill of health and grows to be a happy healthy boy.

I personally know a couple of people who claim they did not know they were pregnant until pretty late in the pregnancy. I know that it isn’t uncommon for women to continue having their period when pregnant and there are many women with irregular cycles altogether who wouldn’t think much of it if they missed a few months. And as far as weight gain, my sister has had two children. With both, she actually lost weight and did not start gaining until she was about 7 1/2 months along. She never even wore maternity clothes until the last few weeks. Her doctor thought she was one of those girls who would diet while pregnant as not to gain weight, and told her to eat whatever she could to gain weight and my sister would try, but each time she went back to the doctor, she lost weight. With her second child, she actually weighed 3 lbs less at his birth than she did at her first doctors appointment when she found out she was pregnant. Now she is not a skinny person, but she is not obese either. We actually had a cousin pregnant at the same time (due dates only a week apart) and my cousin would get so mad that my sister wasn’t showing or gianing weight when she was already wearing maternity clothes. As far as the kicking, not all babies are soccer players….so don’t move much and a lot of people attribute the movements they do feel to gas or upset stomach. Although a little far fetched, it is possible to not know you are pregnant. Everyone is different and sometimes there are woman who have very simple pregnancies without many symptoms or complications. Don’t judge this woman without knowing her situation.

I have been pregnant twice, and EARLY fetal movement can feel like a big gas bubble passing through. Some women have periods the whole time. She probably thought something might be going on, but dismissed it. I know I was 3 1/2 months along before I finally gave in to the feeling that something was up. Maybe she was a lot more stubborn. In any case, I’m glad she didn’t kill him like some “mothers” do. She is obviously happy with him.

My concern is that he is a 26 WEEKER! I work in a NICU and 26-weeks is a very scary baby indeed. I am amazed to see in the photo that he is on NCPAP, and not a ventilator. That in itself is great! You go Owen!

And once again, I want to say that I really believe her. Women who are in denial about pregnancy, usually continue that denial during the delivery, and then to the dumpster.

Comment by CJ
June 11th, 2008 at 3:14 pm

Was there a man involved?

It’s an amazing story, but tip-toeing around basic facts is frustrating.

Was she married? Was it a one-night stand? Was the father told? Will this child even have a father? Does anyone care? I’d like to know whether this is a happy or sad story.

CJ, what’s your deal? You’re not wanting to know if it’s a happy story or a sad one, you’re just wanting all the titilating details because you don’t have a life. Does it matter if she’s married? Does it matter if it was a one night stand? Why do you care? Are you jealous? I’m sure the man involved knows after seeing his girl’s picture, holding A BABY, must have some clue.

All the facts you want to know are none of your business. The good news, and the happiness of the story, is that this little baby is alive, loved and being cared for; all else is between her and her family. Too many times we hear about women flushing their newborns down the toilet or wrapping them in plastic bags and dumping them in trash bins. Can’t you be happy that a child is alive and well?

Those that claim ignorance of being pregnant in the second and third trimesters of a pregnancy are either lying, in denial, or are truly ignorant. If the case is true ignorance, maybe they shouldn’t be procreating in the first place. Awareness is essential to survival, and these people are lacking awareness to a disturbing extreme.

Hey, ANNA L

You wrote……………how irresponsible to not know your pregnant

Gotta love your education. YOU’RE not YOUR,

just another pig.

In the original story……A shortage of available special care baby beds in Newcastle has meant Ms Ashwell remaining in Lancashire for three weeks since the birth……

Gotta love universal health care!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

to the people who talked about fetal movement. Yeah it should have started, however there could be less if the mother had diabetes or drank during the pregnancy, which it appears that she had.

Women having normal periods during pregnancy is a myth. Look in Medline or any medical database. You can’t continually pass uterine lining and have a viable pregnancy. There can be decidual bleeding, but it’s both rare, and feels completely different.

Pregnant women can have bleeding. But they won’t, do not and have NOT ever had periods. The two events are as different as a nose-bleed is from a dislocated shoulder. Periods have myriad sensations and experiences whereas simple “bleeding” does not.

The volume of bleeding is usually very different, hormonal/emotional effects are very different, the timing is very different. Of course, the amount of actual “blood” is usually very low during periods, around 80 ml.

Odds are strong that she had no periods nor mentrual-like bleeding during the pregnancy.

If you’ve missed your period by more than 35 days, without a known cause like, strenuous exercise, new diet (low in iron/protein/calories) very rare, or cysts, tumors or some cancers OR you are pregnant (in excess of 99%).

Most of the girls who “don’t notice” are no exercising, not dieting. This particular lady was bar-hopping. Most of them are not so lacking in body-fat that they are likely to be missing periods.

And a clue, HUGE clue is that they ALL had sex at least once before they stopped missing their periods.

This girl hadn’t had a period in over SIX months. Either she’s lying about not knowing, or she’s delusional and ignorant.

I am tall and slender, but with two of my three pregnancies I could barely feel the babies move even during the 8th month. I had bi-weekly doctor visits for “non-stress tests” where they monitored the babies’ heart rates and movements to make sure the babies were doing ok in there.

I understand the difficulty one might have in believing that a woman could be unaware that she is pregnant. But to judge a woman based on whether or not she could feel the baby move, or other reasons that have been addressed on this site, is ignorant and wrong.

A few years ago I was a victim of a sex crime by a prominent figure in the community. When the perpetrator was arrested and the story hit the local newspaper, people were outraged towards me and the other women who had come forward. There were hundreds of comments posted about how we women were gold-diggers after this man’s money. Or were making it up. Or were crazy, hormonal, liars, attention-seeking, home-wreckers, etc etc…

Even though the comments were from complete strangers it was very hurtful and angering to be judged unfairly. Especially by people who did not have the facts.

That man is now in jail (thankfully). And through the experience I have learned that we can not judge another’s situation simply by reading a few sentences in a news story. Please treat people (even online) the way we would want to be treated.

Okay… someone please discuss the birds and the bees with this woman. Oh, and maybe a little less bar-hopping is in order. That probably contributed to the first stork delivery.

Wow, how dumb can you be. And she was hitting a bunch of bars! Poor kid. If he makes it, its a shame he has a mom like that. If she lost some weight, maybe she would have noticed. She looked alittle big from the picture. Also, no mention of the dad. She probably has no idea who it is. Maybe narrowed it down to ten or fifteen guys.

Wow…Its amazing how so many people know exactly how each and every womans body works…and aparently it is the exact same.

Come on it had nothing to do with her having a period or not having a period. She is a fat disgusting pig, who probably banged a third world piece of crap. Boo hoo hoo…if you are that fat you should be sterilized. Best chance for Owen is to be placed in foster care!!

I just cant understand how someone doesnt know they are pregnant. I had 3 children and there is nothing like when your baby moves inside you. It doesnt feel like gas it feels like life. Think she was in denial

Thanks Tim!!

You know, it’s always nice to hear the expert/experienced opinion of a man about these things.

As you can read in other comments, not all women quit having periods. It is possible to be pregnant with no symptoms.

What an f*n idiot. She obviously was never educated in sex and pregnancy. What kind of moron doesnt know that something is awry with her body? what a dipshit. You are an embarassement to other women you idiot.

I don’t buy it. How could she not know she wasn’t pregnant? Does she know how she got pregnant? Or is she denying that too.

EVEN if she had “periods” throughout her pregnancy and EVEN if she didn’t feel her baby starting to move (which happens, especially if she takes prophylactic migraine meds), the other symptoms she would have been experiencing should have made her go to the doc.
Denial isn’t just a river in Egypt.

I do not see how any woman could say she didn’t know she was pregnant. That baby flutters around in there like crazy after about 17 weeks so to say you didn’t suspect something, regardless of your weight, is eithe just denial or complete stupidity. I don’t know which is worse.

Yeah……she’s a complete idiot.

yeah, I have a comment – She’s a complete idiot! First, I agree with “Tessie Warden”, it is mostly Psychological; denial in this instance usually. You know, among women, all these “false signs” of pregnancies are given among your friends or family for anticipation of the possibilities of pregnancy. And second…hahahah…..all of you talking about missing periods, bleeding, you’re all missing the point. Yeah, there’s Ortho Tri-Cyclen, and all that good stuff to change your periods- None of that has anything to do with not noticing a drastic hormonal, not to mention-Physical change, most noticeably the baby kicking inside, kicking his stupid mommy to say “Wake up stupid – I’m here bitch!” And lastly…Oh God spare me…..ONLY, ONLY 26 weeks???? Who the f@#* are you kidding??? Not feeling the baby inside after 26 weeks???? What?????? Do your math girls!!!! Or are you that stupid too? 26 weeks is 6 and a half-months!!!! So for those of you who have given birth will remember how you looked at 6.5 months, you weren’t too much bigger at that peak 8th or 9th month before you delivered!!! Wake up!!!!!!!!!! And stop making excuses!!!!!BE A MOTHER and Stop being stupid!!!!You can’t afford to be stupid with your baby!!!

I think our time is better spent by praying for the baby and the mom.

Let’s hope that this new little family will have a healthy start in life. Suddenly becoming
a parent is an adjustment that will have to be made by the mom and dad and their families.

I have an old friend that went from no children to 3 under 3 years old in 9 months!

Dawn dear…Tim is right you sexist mama. When you helped deliver as many babies as I have and talk to the mothers, 99.99% of things they experienced during pregnancy are actually pretty textbook. Hah! That’s why us doctors and nurses study, guess what about medicine? Textbooks!!!!! Yeaaahhhhh!!

Even though every woman’s pregnancy/ body is different, I don’t understand how any woman could not know that she is pregnant. It has nothing to do with her size and it doesn’t exactly say what she was going through during her pregancy(example symptoms or lack there of). I will not talk about her irresponsiblity or her size. But if you know your body then you know when something is wrong or going on with it,so if she noticed anything going on with her body she should have went to the doctor and talked to him about it. What ever the case I am just glad the baby made it here safely and he survived.

I can not believe how inconsiderate some people are. Just because you think that she is fat. You all are probably not that flattering of a person to have to talk down to someone else. Anyways I myself is almost 20 weeks pregnant and there is a slim possibility that she did no know that she was pregnant. People hide pregnancies all of the time. However, usually if you have irregular periods and do not take birth control you should take frequent pregnancy tests just in case, and most of the time when you have bleeding during pregnancy they are extremely light. Also since the hospital did not have any beds for a preemie think how long the wait it would be to go to a OBGYN, she probably would not have been able to get in until 9 months anyways.

Whats Sad is that Poor Owen is born into a world, with People like Todd, and others in it.
What a class act!

If a woman has unprotected sex, then thats when common sense kicks in. it doesnt matter if her periods were regular or irregular nor no period, she should have known that sex can lead to pregnancy.

Wow, she’s none too bright. Let’s see: Sexually active, movement of the baby, gaining weight/size, breasts becoming larger, tiring easily. I mean, come on, she had no clue?

Hard to believe that you can be preg. and not know it, but I’m real concerned about the lack of medical treatment for a 26 wk preemie. We all need to realize that this is what happens when you let the gov. control health care. We should really be concerned.

Okay, for those who are saying she is an idiot, I have to say that there are many cases of women bleeding during a pregnancy. They can have bleeding which they can interpret as a period (and yes, it can coincide with the times she would be having her period), or some women are very irregular, so absense of a period is not always an indication of pregnancy (there are other reasons for not having a period), and we do not know if she was having bleeding which she mistook as a period. Also, you do not always get bigger or feel the baby. Please…I mean, my son was premature – just a little further along than she was. We were trying to get pregnant, so I knew I was, BUT I did have bleeding throughout my pregnancy, and I did NOT show any – infact, all my neighbors were very suprprised when they found out I had a baby – NO ONE knew I was pregnant except for family and friends we told. And I did not even feel my son until I was 22 weeks (and I barely felt him). And please charges on her for what? Are you even from US? I am and that definately is not true – she didn’t know she was pregnant, what are you going to charge her with?

ok, by 26 weeks, you start feeling the baby. and for the guy Russ, whose wife went full term without knowing she was pregnant..I find that REALLY hard to believe. She never knew there was a baby kicking her in the stomach?? Sorry, don’t believe it. You know full term is the whole 9months..40 weeks right?? A period is not the only symptom of being pregnant..so who cares if she would got a year without a cyle? All of it Just sounds like major denial. I’m sorry.. but by 26 weeks, you would know your pregnant.

HERE IN THE US IT IS COMMON FOR 23-24 WEEK GESTATION BABIES TO SURVIVE AND HAVE A NORMAL LIFE.

Irregular periods aside, if your baby doesn’t kick, it’s dead. Since this was a live birth, that baby was kicking. Did she think she had a huge tape worm or something? One word: moron.

how stupid, to not know your pregnant? Maybe she should go back to health classes,
and learn some more things! Get out the bars in you bumblebee clothes and
GET REAL! Did she not know she was fat, or sick at some point in that time?
Or better yet, what about her cycle? HELLO

I’m not even going to bother mentioning all the things that are wrong with this because everyone is thinking the same thing.

I don’t care how deluded people like to make themselves, but there is no way on earth that you can be pregnant that far a long and NOT know. Take the period out of the scenario here since it is true that women can still menstruate during pregnany and/or have irregular cycles, thus causing a confusion as to how far along they may be, but when that kid starts moving, YOU KNOW IT! Fetal movement can be detected easily at 18-19 weeks gestation. I guarantee you by 22 weeks there should be no doubt as to what’s up. It’s like an alien in your body and it doesn’t just flutter around. It kicks, wiggles, pushes, and rolls and there is NO mistaking that for indigestion. I think people who say “Oh we didn’t know I was pregnant until I went into labor or until right before term” are just idiots who want attention. Do you think you’re cool for being that stupid or irresponsible? Unless you are massively obese then there is just no way in hell I would ever believe anyone could go to third trimester or up to delivery without having had some clue or thought of pregnancy enter their mind prior. I’ve had 3 kids myself and each pregnancy was different, but I guarantee you that by 19 weeks in when that movement is strong enough to feel, you know your pregnant, and I don’t know how anyone can ignore that or pass it off as “gas”. I am glad this mom and son are doing okay, but I am disgusted by this woman’s stupidity, irresponsibility, and for the media making her out to be something special when she’s not. Deplorable.

The key to understanding this story is the bumble bee costume.

I am a mother of four. Each pregnacy was different; each child’s movements unique. My first two children were planned and I spent lots of money on pregnancy tests. I needed drugs to help regulate my cycles, which ran from 60 to 70 days. After having two healthy children, my husband and I opted to let nature take its course. I was half way through my third pregnacy before finding out and four months along before discovedring my fourth was on the way.
Tim, how many times have you given birth? Are you describing the different feeling of bleeding between pregnanct and a regular period from your personal experience?

It actually doesn’t surprise me much, I was 2 months pregnant with my last baby when I made an announcement to my friends. Only to learn my neighbor was over 5 MONTHS pregnant and had just learned it. She had her monthly the whole way through, (up till my announcement that is, I didn’t ask beyond that.) But for her it was usual, she had her period until her 3rd trimester with her previous children….and they numbered 4. It is a weird world we all live in…DON”T JUDGE!!!!

To all of you that “just can’t understand why a woman doesn’t know that she is pregnant!!!!!” Get a LIFE!!!!! You are not the only women in the world that has been pregnant. I was six months and two weeks pregnant when I found out. I was tall, 5′11″ 135 lbs. steadily and had periods till my eighth month. I was never sick, I felt normal and until the morning that my husband and I woke up, getting ready to get out of bed and I said “Wow”. He said “What?” I had my hand on my stomach and it felt like a little lump. I was scared to death thinking that something was terribly wrong. I went to the doctor immediately and gladly to our surprise I was pregnant. The only problem that I had was being anemic. My doctor told me to drink a glass of white wine everyday. I did not like wine…..but I did what my doctor told me and we have a beautiful, healthy 22 year old daughter as I speak. So all of you that are trashing this lady, don’t be judgmental of a person until you know the entire story.

As a heavier gal, I had VERY irregular periods,often skipping many months. I never didn’t know when I was pregnant, but then each of my 4 babies was wished for and planned. I can tell you this, EVERY pregnancy (even successive ones for the same woman) is different. My first and third children were born on their due dates, my third was late and the fourth was early. I gained 30# with the first and 15 with the last. I had nerve pain in my leg with the second one for months – and none with the other 3 at all. My third pregnancy ‘turned’ head down early and that babe seemed to delight in pushing off of my diaphragm to bounce off of my bladder. When I felt the ‘push-off’ I knew to hang tight because extreme pain was on the way.(like the kind that might buckle your knees – man that rebound was something!) My fourth child was breech until 3 weeks prior to birth, I felt very little movement with him and by then I think I had a reasonable understanding of what pregnancy was like FOR ME. As I said – ALL pregnancies are different. National Health comments aside (by the way, I
agree with them) can ANY of you Moms imagine how TOTALLY
upset/confused chaotic you’d be to have such an unexpected life changing
event happen? God Bless the new Mom and the child He seems to have
plans for! You go Owen! Be strong, grow well!

I remember smiling and thinking some of the same things mentioned here when my college friend delivered her daughter – full term. She was a straight A, student athlete and lived at home. If anyone would have suspected she was pregnant, there is no coach that would have let her play strenuous sports. She and her family are very honest people and when she arrived at the emergency room with her mother complaining of stomach pains, no one suspected a baby. That baby is now in college and has brought so much joy to those who know her. Some things cannot be explained other than “it is God’s will”.

That is incredible! How can you, a woman, not know you are pregnant? Unbelievable.

If most of the idiots writing their silly comments had bothered to read the WHOLE story, you would have known that the baby was born after 2 months gestation, very rare, very unusual. Some women continue to have some level of a “period” for the first month, the mother may not have been nauseous or light headed which is also normal, and most women do not show in the first trimester, may have a feeling of putting on some weight at the most!!

So stop being so judgemental, and thank God that the baby has survived this long despite just 2 months in the tummy! Almost miraculous!

A woman has sex. She is on the pill. Her doctor has diagnosed her with endometriosis and to prevent pain during a period has her take the active pill everyday and never the placebo, thus she does not experience a period except some brief spotting occasionally. She and her boyfriend break up 2 weeks later. Shortly after that she has some brown spotting. She takes a pregnancy test that comes back negative. Six weeks later she sees her gynocologist for her yearly exam. He refers her for a breast ultrasound because he found a lump. That ultrsound comes back normal. The woman begins to lose weight. She’s going to college, working full-time and is president of an organization in her college. She’s tired and sick.

Two months later her doctor has her come back in for another exam because her pap smear came back abnormal. He has her come in again and tells her he thinks she has a fibroid tumor. The pain she was feeling and the odd sensations the doctor says are from the tumor.

A month later she gets an abdominal ultrasound…holy crap…she’s 26 weeks pregnant. Forty days later, her son is born 8 weeks premature.

It is possible to not know you’re pregnant. Stop being rude and open your mind up to other possibilities that make sense. The doctor screwed up here.

The boy is now 10. His parents were married when he was 2 after working through their reasons for breaking up. The boy has a 6 year old brother. His parents knew as soon as they conceived him and found out for sure on September 11, 2001.

Anything is possible.

I lost weight when I was pregnant and didn’t gain any until I was past 7 months (28 weeks). The baby moving felt like gas or a cramp. Who actually knows about the changes that go on in your own body when your pregnant. No one told me your nipples change and breasts getting fuller was a sign of pregnancy, I thought it was bloating or hormones from my birth control pill (missed it 2 days…his name is William). Dr thought I had a tumor (same doctor who examined me twice before) and it turned out to be my son. Denial isn’t just a river in egypt…doctors can screw up and if they get it wrong who the hell are you to judge.

Fat people should be sterilized…what is wrong with you? Hate mongers should really try to see things from others point of view.

How quick everyone seems to be to rush to judge this womans’ appearance, intelligence, and dating preferences! As amazing as it may seem to some of you….we are not all the same. Some people bleed during pregnancy. A tilted uterus causes a baby to kick the bladder rather the abdominal surface thereby decreasing the sensation of the kick. No this does not only happen to over weight ladies. One condition which predisposes a person to this type of pregnancy is POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME. She would not have to be in denial or an idiot. She, in fact, may even be seeing her doctor regularly for other signs and symptoms but not checking for pregnancy because the odds of becoming pregnant with this condition are declined. I caution you to not be so quick to rush to judgement. THIS COMING FROM A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL

did u say she was 30 yr
or was that her IQ

Some women never know they are pregnant because their periods could be irregular…..DUH. I have gone up to 6 months without one and if I got pregnant in that time frame, it would have been at least 3 months before I would’ve known….lol

What can you say about something like this?! How flipping stupid can a woman be to not know she is pregnant? Doesn’t missing several periods give one a clue…even if you are not regular. Or is she just way too fat to notice that little “basketball” growing on her stomach? And just think, she can vote too!!!

I used to live next door to a nice family, and was a friend of their teen-aged daughter. The mother of the family went to the hospital one night with terrible cramping and came home with a child, unaware up until that night that she had been pregnant. She was middle aged and on the heavy side. She had written off both the extra weight gain and the fact that her period had stopped to menopause.

I guess she should have consulted a professional, LOL.

Anyway, it couldn’t have happened to a nicer family.

Please!!!!!! Babies are aborted and children murdered and abused daily.. Who cares if she knew or not at least she didn’t kill and hide it. Let’s worry about the silent cries of the unborn and the innocent and helpless /

Comment from Mary Johnson on June 11 said

Oh Mary, no, we don’t. I swear this is a lie….Never heard that phrase, never want to hear it, or see it again.
~extremely concerned fellow American citizen setting the record straight.

..on a side note……Give this woman a break already, so maybe she didn’t know. Yea, it probably would have been a good idea to take a pregnancy test if she had unprotected sex… but no two women have the exact same kind of pregnancy/birth experience. I have 3 kids, all completely different pregnancies and births… end result was the same, they’re all here and healthy… why judge her? She could and probably will be a great Mom. Baby’s ok, what a blessing. The fact that she was wearing a bee costume when she gave birth, how funny is that??

And there sure is a lot of ignorance on this comment board about women’s bodies… I think people need to start reading books again!

I think maybe we should comment on how mature the people are commenting and the choices of words they are using. Is it any wonder why we are unmoved by abortion and children neglegted and murdered. who cares if she knew and if it’s a true story or not . there are some serious issues out there to respond to in a compassionate way.

Instead of berating the mother, maybe we should all say some prayers for little Owen that he lives a happy and healthy life. After all, he is the miracle here, and at 2lbs., I’m sure a few prayers for him to pull through and survive would be appreciated. Please remember, all babies are a gift from God, no matter how they got here! We will be praying for you little Owen!

I have four children. Each pregnancy was different, as are the wonderful children who resulted from them. My cycle is generally 60 to 80 days. When trying to have my first two children, I used lots of pregnancy test so I’d know as soon as I was pregnant. Doctors gave us little hope of any more children after the first two. Six years later, near my 40th birthday, I was delightfully surprised to find out about my third pregancy. I was five months along. My fourth pregnancy snuck in soon after, and I found out when I was four months along.
Tim, how many times have you been pregnant? Are you talking about personal experience when you describe the feeling of bleeding while pregnant or having a period? Did you get your degree from WebMD?

I used to live next door to a middle-aged and heavy-set woman. She attributed her new weight gain and the stoppage of her period to menopause. She went to the ER one night with terrible cramps and came home the next day with a newborne daughter.

I guess she should have consulted a professional, LOL.

Tim is correct. It is not true that women can have consistent periods during pregnancies. Abnormal spotting can occur, but in no means is that consistent with a normal period. Most fetuses are kicking fairly hard by 26 weeks. Whether you are obese or not, women usually can feel the kicks. This woman does not look morbidly obese so there is probably a good chance she could feel the kicks.

Lastly, with this little baby being the fighter that he is, it is a good chance he was a very active baby in the womb. I hope mom gets some help and begins to take some responsibility because this little baby must be here for a reason.

I have known 4 women this has happened to. They are all intelligent educated women. A friend of mine finally thought she was just dying. She kept going to the doctor, was administered several pregnancy tests which came up negative, she continued to have her period, she didn’t gain hardly any weight and had been pregnant twice before, so she wasn’t a noob. At around 8 months they finally did an ultrasound….and tada, baby. I have a relative who went full term and didn’t know she was pregnant. She started a new job probably around the time she got pregnant and was extremely tired because of it….or so she thought. I have no idea where she carried the baby because she only gained a pant size….and she too had spotty period. I asked her husband (thinking maybe she was just in denial) “Didn’t you see any type of a belly?” and he said “she got thicker in the middle…but she certainly didn’t look pregnant”. The two others gals I know have similar stories…although they found out late…not full term like my relative. None of these women are obese either. Two of them were slightly over weight, the other two were average sized.

Dawn,
I guess you believe no man is qualified to be a gynocolgist. What are your qualifications?

This is just retarded. Imagine the kid when he grows up, finding out he was not only planned, he was not expected at all. Just popped out while mom was bar-hopping, spoiling her plans to get sloshed that night. Worse than an accident with the condom. To go around for months, unaware that you are pregnant, that is a sign of mental deficiency.

does she live next to mcdonalds

It is not at all possible to have your period during your pregnancy. As Tim pointed out earlier, your pregnancy would not be viable if you actually had a menustral cycle while you were pregnant. About 30% of women experience what is known as “decidual bleeding” during their first trimester. Most women do not experience bleeding after their first trimester though a small percentage still do (and is generally a sign of a complication in the pregnancy, whether it be fetal distress or something like a urinary tract infection). Dedicual bleeding occurs early in the pregnancy before the lining of the uterus has completely attached to the placenta and during attachment. Dedicual bleeding is more than likely caused by a hormonal imbalance in your body.

There is also a second type of “normal” bleeding that occurs early on in the pregnancy as well, and it is called implantation bleeding. This bleeding is caused by the fertilized egg being implanted into the walls of the uterus.

The reason why you can’t have a true menustral cycle when you are pregnant is because a menustral cycle is when you shed the lining of your uterus to which your baby is attached. If a woman has a true menustral cycle while she is pregnant she will (unfortunately) inevitably miscarry.

During pregnancy you experience quite a bit of hormonal imbalances which may cause some bleeding. However, it is a myth that a woman can have her period while she is pregnant.

Just would like to say, those people who dont believe this can Occure need to speak to the people that it happened too….

I have known several women in my life time, that this has happened to ….and they were married ..sleeping next to there hubbys for the entire 9 months….it does happen….

So those of you out there ……BE OPEN MINDED YOUR MISSING THE BOAT ON OTHER THINGS ASWELL…..

If she had been a young girl, I might find it more believable, but a 30 year old? Give me a break. You would be having some symptoms, even if not all of the symptoms of a pregnancy.

Apparantly, many of you don’t read much or have diverse life experiences. There are MANY women whose bodies differ from traditiona patterns that we are familiar with. Some women get their period two to four times a year. Some have periods that last longer than five days and appear like clockwork. Some have their periods straight through their pregnancy. People are different. Not knowing you are pregnant can be due to many reasons; not all embryos/fetuses are active in the womb or even located in the same position in the womb.

This happened to my friend because she was on depo – a shot you take once every three months. She hadn’t had her period in two years because of it. Technically the nurse is supposed to make you take a pregnancy test before they give you the shot, but my friend claimed the nurse was too busy when she went to get her shots. She did take a pregnancy test early because she had been a little sick, but it came back negative so she ignored it. She was quite a heavy woman beforehand, so she didn’t actually gain that much weight, and she didn’t notice. The only thing she noticed was increase in appetite (which explained the weight gain for her) and some acid reflux. One night, she went to the hospital because she had severe stomach pains, and thought she had appendicitis. When they did the ultrasound, she was 8 months pregnant and in labour. Now she has a beautiful little girl. Still, only 4 hours notice that you’re going to have a baby is quite a shock! the sad part about the story though, and its hinted in the article, is that if you don’t know you’re pregnant, you don’t avoid drugs or alcohol, or smoking in order to protect the fetus. That’s the real sad part of the story.

Why is everyone so rude?! I’ve had 2 pregnancies, I’m a normal sized woman, I knew 5 minutes after I conceived (kidding) but not everyone is like this!! If she is a larger lady, has a lot of flesh in her belly region she may have not felt all the flutters or bumping that an average sized woman would feel. Some women have scant or irregular periods and/or have had difficulty getting pregnant in the past…some women just feel flu-ish, or “just not right” on and off the whole pregnancy without any other symptoms…and if it is your first pregnancy, you may start to “show” around 5 months (20 weeks) or so?? If you are thin, that will be earlier… and if you are heavier, you may not until later… the baby was born @ 26 weeks which is about 6 1/2 months…she might have been to her yearly PRIOR to getting preggers (because any gyno can tell if you are pregnant)… if your weight fluctuates normally, or you haven’t gained an ounce because you didn’t need to…my point is that all these things might have lined up just right and the gal may really not have known she was pregnant. It is just thoughtless and hateful to call names or say she should have noticed this or that…or in denial…or just ignorant. While it is “unbelievable” for the average person, not everyone fits into this category. Give her a break.

My sister is 34 weeks pregnant. She just found out was pregnant 10 weeks ago, you do the math. To this DAY she still gets her period every month. Up until a month ago, the baby was not very active. During the first months, she went to the doctor, had a couple of pregnancy tests, that were all negative, simpy because she was worried about this “growth.” So it’s not that she was ignorant, or irrisponsible, and dumb, for all you idiots out there, she simply relied on the input from her doctor. So here she is with what the doctors though was a tumor growing in her abdomen. As this “tumor” got bigger, the started contemplating surgury. A couple of weeks before her SCHEDULED surgery, the doctors did a 4D ultrasound to get some detailed info on this “tumor.” WHOA AND BEHOLD it’s a baby boy! Sucking his thumb. So for all you ignorant, irresponsible dumb**ses out there, keep in mind that obstetrics is the most widely studied field because no matter how YOU want it to be an exact science, it is not. Tim thank you for you’re expert opinion. I’m sure that yuo know better than any WOMAN with kids what it feels like to be pregnant. I have two kids. My daughter didn’t start really kicking until 23 weeks. And I’m a skinny girl. I had a regular period through both of my prenancies. And sometimes, I have gas bad enough to the point were those passing bubbles could pass for a baby kick. Oh, and I didn’t show until 7 months, so alot of people making comments need to shuttup, especially if you don’t know your facts and flaws in science.

Congratulations Ally Ashwell, on the birth of your new baby son. Good luck to you and your new family member – Best wishes from Canada.

You know as a woman whenever you have sex there is always the worry that you might get pregnant (even if you are on the pill or other birth control). She was apparently a partier. Your body also takes on a lot of changes. Your breasts are sore peaiods either go away or become even more irregular your face changes your hair changes. She must of had some thought she was pregnant. Like I said earlier, I think she lied because of what she was doing. So many people are worried about what others will think.

Comment by Tim
June 11th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
Women having normal periods during pregnancy is a myth. Look in Medline or any medical database. You can’t continually pass uterine lining and have a viable pregnancy. There can be decidual bleeding, but it’s both rare, and feels completely different.

Pregnant women can have bleeding. But they won’t, do not and have NOT ever had periods. The two events are as different as a nose-bleed is from a dislocated shoulder. Periods have myriad sensations and experiences whereas simple “bleeding” does not.

Comment by Ann
June 11th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
Dawn dear…Tim is right you sexist mama. When you helped deliver as many babies as I have and talk to the mothers, 99.99% of things they experienced during pregnancy are actually pretty textbook. Hah! That’s why us doctors and nurses study, guess what about medicine? Textbooks!!!!! Yeaaahhhhh!!

Ann, are you a doctor? Or did you just help deliver babies. Hell my friend was my birhting coach and “helped” deliver my son but that does not make her a doctor. And if you were really as into medicine as you say you are, then you would know that textbooks are a guideline, not a fact. But this is why, even though I am an OB/GYN Nurse Practitioner, I don’t like most medical professionals. Everyone of them is so high and mighty on themselves that they think that everything they say is right and leave no room for error. Tim, you seem to know a thing or two. Have you ever heard of a Placenta Previa? It’s a condition in which the placenta over laps the cervix and such things as being on your feet too much, and sexual intercourse can cause mentrual like bleeding, caused by the placenta tearing away from the uterine wall. It is painless, as far as patient statements that i have recieved from people with the condition. It could be that this has happened to some people before they knew they were pregnant. I have also seen some calm baies in the womb that do not move a whole lot. I have had patients that did not know they were pregnant, and I have had patients with negative pregnancy tests that were 5-6 months along. So ya’ll go ahead and go by textbooks rather than experience. You will never get anywhere with medicine.

The point of this story, even though it may seem to be the oblivious mom, is not that.

The REAL point of the story is that, thanks to Britain’s socialized health care system, she had to spend three weeks in Lancashire instead of being able to go to Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary, the largest neonatal intensive care unit in the region, due to a shortage of available special care baby beds in Newcastle.

That’s what socialized health care does in the UK and that is exactly what universal health care will do in the US. But do not worry, Senator Kennedy and Hillary and Obama don’t have to worry about socialized health care, that is not for them, they will have the type of care they have now, or better, socialized health care is only for us, regular citizens.

GO Obama!

My mom was thin but only had one ovary….so she only had 2 maybe 3 periods a year. She did not know she was pregnant because of her cycle irregularities till her second trimester. She only suspected because she was tiny and was getting that hard spot on her tummy we get before we start showing. I am the product of that unexpected pregnancy. She had to take fertility drugs to get my brother. Don’t judge this woman people. If she was not trying to get pregnant and for whatever reasons, didn’t have normal cycles then she had no reason to suspect. There is also a condition called “placenta previa” in which the fundus is resting on the cervix and this causes bleeding throughout a pregnancy. It can also cause premature labor and birth.

TxMama:

Actually you are not correct – don’t generalize to every other woman because of YOUR experiences. I had my son as 28 weeks and I still barely felt him (and no, I am not “fat” or “obese”) – infact, more than once I went to the urgent care to make sure he was okay b/c I did NOT feel him moving (and he was very active when he was born), so it’s not always the case that the mother would know something was up or was feeling the same things that you were – haven’t you heard, not everyone is th same?

This case is a good example of result of obesity and stupidity. She must have been eaten so much that fat take her’s brain place:/

Again, I would like to debunk the myth that a woman can have her menstrual cycle while she is pregnant. There are many different types of bleeding that can happen during pregnancy but none of them are associated with having your regular period.

Drinking during pregnancy is the number ONE preventable cause of mental retardation. Forget that she didn’t know. The important thing is whether this baby was born as drunk as the mom was when she gave birth! It’s really serious.

I’m 115 lbs and 5′6″ and already have 3 kids. I JUST found out I am FOUR MONTHS pregnant with my 4th and had zero symptoms (still had what seemed like a perfectly-clockwork-regular period). I gained 5 pounds, which is unusual for me. (the only red flag). But I know women who gained 30 pounds in a year and were not pregnant. It happens. Who the heck goes to the dr. for weight gain? Most women would not and would have the common sense to adjust their diet on their own. To top this off to all your judgemental people, I also had a tubal ligation 7 yrs ago. How the heck could this be pregnancy related weight gain? Well, to prove it wasn’t, I took a home pregnancy test to be sure and it was NEGATIVE (yes at FOUR months….ever hear of that? me neither!). I finally felt what I thought was fetal movement (blogging women online also said it was impossible this ‘early’ and were relying on that negative test I had. I’m THIN, just think if I weren’t or the baby were facing the other way? I wouldn’t have felt it!). I did finally go to the dr. …but I can see how women would NOT. I am not showing, am still wearing normal clothes, and the fetal movement isn’t regular enough to not just chaulk it up to being gas (like women online also would convince you of). People like to judge….it’s human nature. If it hasn’t happened to them-it’s impossible, right? Well, I am stick thin…had textbook pregnancies with the other 3 (missed periods and had nausea, was DEAD tired, etc). I had a dr. also give me a preg. test and it was NEGATIVE. It wasn’t until I told her “look. please just feel my stomach and see if my uterus is enlarged to prove that I’m nuts and I’ll go home” and she looked puzzled. After agreeing that it felt enlarged and thinking I had maybe a fibroid or something, a blood test said …PREGNANT, she did an ultrasound and I’m 17 weeks. Had I never had a child before, I would NOT have known. Who would have? I can’t think of a single symptom I have other than slight weight gain. Pregnancy tests AND tubal ligations are 99.9%, right??? This is .1%. So, take your feet out of your mouth before this one happens to you! Trust me, I used to say “yeah RIGHT” too!

Just to let you all know, I had my period for 7 months during my pregnancy and only gained 7 lbs. There was absolutely no movement from my daughter. Although I delivered her very early, she was almost 3 lbs. I have 2 other children who I had normal pregnancies with, gained all the weight, they moved all the time and I did not have my period. I used to say it was BS that they did not know, but I know first hand that it is very possible

ok comment on anna l’s comment, birth control have similar effects as pregnancy does, the symptoms can be mistaken, some womens periods are “off” or abnormal, and most babies dont even kick or move much til 26+ weeks, its not irresponsible to not know ur pregnant.

i have been pregnant too, and just because we have, doesn’t mean everyone else feels what we feel. so to all who are like, theres no way she couldnt tell, how would u know how HER body feels?

i eventually found out i was pregnant, but when i didnt believe i was, i thought it was the flu and then the symptoms of the birth control shot depo-provera, like a side-effect. so it is possible to not know.

not to be mean to the mother, but maybe all her ‘bar-hopping’ she prob got drunk so often, she thought it was the alcohol making her throw up.